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Going Home Again
So I recently engaged in a little anthropological exercise. It was quite out of character, really, since I have never been one for things like school spirit.
I went to my high school reunion and it almost goes without saying that the experience was strange.
Apart from the surely inevitable soul-searching (Will I remember anyone? Will anyone remember me? What if the only things people remember are truly unflattering?), I was really frightened as I stuck my requisite nametag on. What was I doing there anyway? Why was I disobeying my natural tendencies?
I suspect I went because of my child, though I haven't been able to connect those dots very clearly. Maybe I wonder if I will end up trying to send my son to the school I attended (though only for a few years, and for high school). As I have mentioned here, New York City's School Terror is Topic B, second to New York City's Real Estate Terror (now that the Cherry Blossoms have faded and Ramp Seasonis well underway, we are inundated with the annual Raging Debate on Rent-Stabilization Price Hikes), so I was interested, though I didn't have any revelations.
It is natural to look upon any kind of reunion as a testing ground- a chance to prove whether one has been a success or a failure. I certainly was prepared to embrace the worst about myself and nursed enough vodka tonics to assist me there, but what turned out to be the second strangest things was learning about everyone's families:
- Some people I went to school with have children who are themselves in high school.
- Some folks have children with a decade between them.
- At least one person had six kids.
- Quite a number had several children under four.
I have thought about those family configurations quite a bit since the reunion... almost as much as I have about the casual comment someone offered up after expressing considerable surprise that I showed my face at all: "I have to say, I never thought you would get married."
Criticism or compliment? I may never know.
posted by Elise at 1:21 PM
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said...
When I told a friend of mine that I was getting married he said, "Really? Did you find a man or did you just set a date?" People, as the song says, are strange.
5/10/2006 1:37 PM
Elise said...
You're being charitable.
5/10/2006 1:56 PM
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